USA: CAMPAIGN CALLING FOR THE RE- ELECTION OF CALIFORNIAN GOVERNOR GRAY DAVIS GATHERS SUPPORT

Record ID: 347537

  • Title: USA: CAMPAIGN CALLING FOR THE RE- ELECTION OF CALIFORNIAN GOVERNOR GRAY DAVIS GATHERS SUPPORT
  • Date: 16th July 2003
  • Summary: (W1) SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JULY 16, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. LONG VIEW OF CALIFORNIA STATE CAPITOL BUILDING/ ZOOM INTO MEDIUM VIEW 0.09 2. MEDIUM VIEW OF DOME OF CAPITOL BUILDING 0.18 3. PAN FROM CALIFORNIA STATE FLAG TO STATE RESOURCES BUILDING 0.28 4. SLV CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL CAR PULLING OUT OF STATION 0.40
  • Embargoed: 31st July 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES AND SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA2JFYXM6I5SAXGKXHQ3EO48X8W
  • Story Text: The battle to recall California Governor Gray Davis is
    heating up as Davis backers launch a legal challenge to the
    recall process, and opponents line up for a possible election.




    The battle to recall California Governor Gray Davis is
    heating up as Davis backers launch a legal challenge to the
    recall process. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior
    Court by Taxpayers Against the Recall asks local registrars to
    set aside thousands of recall petitions allegedly collected
    illegally by out-of-state signature gatherers. The request
    could help the governor by delaying a special election. Davis
    is facing a recall vote over his handling of the state's $38
    billion budget shortfall and his management of California's
    recent energy woes. State agencies, including the California
    Highway Patrol and Education Development Department, are
    facing severe cuts as money runs out. Davis has proposed a
    mix of tax hikes and spending controls to close the shortfall,
    but Republican legislators are blocking its passage.

    Davis's deep unpopularity has inspired a number of
    grassroots efforts to recall him. Ted Costa, the founder of
    DavisRecall.com, claims about 1.7 million people have signed
    petitions to recall the governor. State law requires 897,000
    thousand valid signatures to place a recall measure on the
    ballot. Costa downplays the legal challenge to his
    signature-gathering campaign, saying he has more than enough
    to force the issue. "It's pretty close to the last ditch for
    these folks. They've tried everything. They've tried bribing
    the area coordinators. They've tried buying outright paying
    them off $70,000 (USD). They've tried buying up all the
    signature-gathering firms and we formed our own firm and we
    went out. We overpowered them with signatures," Costa says.

    The recall campaign has left Californians divided. "Sooner
    or later, we're going to have a civil war," says Sacramento
    resident Michael Hart. "Right now, we're polarized. That's
    the way it is in this country. Everybody's on one side or the
    other and we're not talking to each other." Massage therapist
    Miriam Munson, for one, is anxious to see Davis booted from
    office. "I think he's done a really bad job and deserves to
    be fired. If I did that, I'd be fired," she joked.

    In the event of a recall, several prominent state
    Republicans, including actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and
    Congressman Darrell Issa, who has spent at least $1 million of
    his money to back the recall, are expected to run. In such a
    scenario, Californians would be asked to vote twice: on
    whether the recall vote itself should proceed, and on their
    choice for a new governor in the event the recall is approved.

    Davis' name would not be among those listed and no Democrat
    has entered the race despite calls for another candidate to do
    so if the governor appears headed toward defeat.


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